Elizabeth Borton de Treviño was the highly acclaimed author of many books for young people. Born in California, it was her move to Mexico in the 1930s that inspired many of her books, including
and
. She won the Newbery Medal in 1966 for
.
Elizabeth wa......more
Elizabeth Borton de Treviño was the highly acclaimed author of many books for young people. Born in California, it was her move to Mexico in the 1930s that inspired many of her books, including
and
. She won the Newbery Medal in 1966 for
.
Elizabeth was born in Bakersfield, California, the daughter of attorney Fred Ellsworth Borton and Carrie Louise Christensen. She attended Stanford University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1925 with a bachelor's degree in Latin American history. After finishing college, she moved to Massachusetts to study violin at the Boston Conservatory, and then worked as a reporter. On her marriage to Luis Treviño Arreola y Gómez Sanchez de la Barquera
Elizabeth Borton de Treviño was the highly acclaimed author of many books for young people. Born in California, it was her move to Mexico in the 1930s that inspired many of her books, including
and
. She won the Newbery Medal in 1966 for
.
Elizabeth was born in Bakersfield, California, the daughter of attorney Fred Ellsworth Borton and Carrie Louise Christensen. She attended Stanford University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1925 with a bachelor's degree in Latin American history. After finishing college, she moved to Massachusetts to study violin at the Boston Conservatory, and then worked as a reporter. On her marriage to Luis Treviño Arreola y Gómez Sanchez de la Barquera (b. August 5, 1902), she moved to his hometown of Monterrey, Mexico. They had two sons, Luis Fredrico Treviño-Borton and Enrique Ricardo Treviño-Borton.
Among her other books are:
,
,
,
, and
. In later life, she wrote several memoirs of her life as an American who had married into a traditional Mexican family: the best-seller
and its sequels,
, and
.
For more information, please see (less)
**3.5 stars**
Juan de Pareja's portrait by Velázquez is my favorite painting (every time I see it, it makes me cry) so it was with trepidation and excitement that I started this audio.
The book follows the story of Juan de Pareja and his life as the slave of Diego de Velázquez,......more
**3.5 stars**
Juan de Pareja's portrait by Velázquez is my favorite painting (every time I see it, it makes me cry) so it was with trepidation and excitement that I started this audio.
The book follows the story of Juan de Pareja and his life as the slave of Diego de Velázquez, the leading painter in the court of King Philip IV of Spain. Historically, we know little of their life except what is portrayed in the paintings and important acts that were documented like marriages and deaths. The author did a good job of weaving known facts with situations that may well have happened. My only issue is that although Juan is an adult for most of the book, he doesn't seem like a grown-up but maybe this is so because the book was written for children. This book was also written in the 60s (around the time of the Civil Rights Movements) so there are also a lot of important thoughts regarding race relations and freedom.
Velázquez is considered an early precursor of the realist and impressionist movements so hearing some of this thoughts on painting the truth (one of the few quotes that can be attributed to him) explained why he differed so much from his contemporaries and why he was so ahead of his time. Learning about the relationship between the portraits of Juan and Pope Innocent X's
was extremely enlightening and even a bit ironic. Both are masterpieces of a slave and a king painted around the same time and when you look at them, you feel like you know the real person (to me Juan looks the better person of the two; the Pope looks the type to stab people in the back. :)
The narrator did a good job with the characters and the pacing. She also had good knowledge of Castilian Spanish because she pronounced the 'Z' in the proper way (it may sound weird for people that are not familiar with this pronunciation but it is correct.:) However, she mispronounced Velázquez' name which drove me nuts (in Spanish, the U in QUE is silent but she would pronounce it as in Queen.) But this is something that would probably only bother a native Spanish speaker like me so if you want to listen to this, I wouldn't let that deter you.
I'm glad at the end that I picked this up because it really just makes me want to learn more. :)(less)
I gave this book 5 stars for several reasons. The first of which probably has more to do with my personal tastes, I have studied art history throughout high school and college, and am fascinated by the subject. The next reason is that there was never a dull moment. The book kept me wanting to read, ......more
I gave this book 5 stars for several reasons. The first of which probably has more to do with my personal tastes, I have studied art history throughout high school and college, and am fascinated by the subject. The next reason is that there was never a dull moment. The book kept me wanting to read, which is always a sign of a good book. The story was very touching, and I found myself relating to and sympathizing with the main character on several levels. The character development was astounding. Finally, after reading this book I was aching to know more. Obviously, as a children's historical fiction book, the author could not lay out all the details of the painters' lives (what little is known about them, anyway.) But I want to study that time period in Spain and learn more about their customs. I want to learn more about Catholicism and the meaning behind the Rosary and some of the religious implications of the book.
I highly recommend this book! It's a well-written, quick reading book.(less)
It was a nice quick read. I liked that it was told in the narration of the slave Juan de Pareja. The author gave him a sad but happy life, with what little is known about him and his Master, Spanish painter Diego Velazquez of the 17th c. Pareja meets good people that want to help him throughout his ......more
It was a nice quick read. I liked that it was told in the narration of the slave Juan de Pareja. The author gave him a sad but happy life, with what little is known about him and his Master, Spanish painter Diego Velazquez of the 17th c. Pareja meets good people that want to help him throughout his life journey. Juan has a good heart and loves his Master and Mistress, which turn out to be a blessing to him bc they are good hearted people that actually treat him well almost like a family member, an equal. He recognizes his Masters talent and would love to paint except it is illegal that a slave learn art. So he teaches himself but it is agony to him to do it secretly. The author has done a good job of giving Juan a life, esp since now I am interested in someone (2 someones) I knew nothing about which is the point I believe. ENJOY!!(less)
I enjoy books about real people from long ago, though there is often not enough info to create a biography. This book is from a perspective of a black slave of Diego Velazquez. While Velazquez' paintings are not as luminescent as those I remember seeing while reading "Girl With a Pearl Earring" abou......more
I enjoy books about real people from long ago, though there is often not enough info to create a biography. This book is from a perspective of a black slave of Diego Velazquez. While Velazquez' paintings are not as luminescent as those I remember seeing while reading "Girl With a Pearl Earring" about Vermeer, I thought the characters created were admirable and worth learning about. Because they were both historical fiction from the perspective of the servant of famous painters, I couldn't help comparing the books to each other and I felt less haunted reading this one!(less)
What a surprise! I stubbornly think of biographies as boring but I absolutely loved this book! It is full of wonderful reflections on the true, good, and beautiful in art and life.
I was fascinated by the art history and inspired to look up the works of the artists Velasquez, Rubens, Muri......more
What a surprise! I stubbornly think of biographies as boring but I absolutely loved this book! It is full of wonderful reflections on the true, good, and beautiful in art and life.
I was fascinated by the art history and inspired to look up the works of the artists Velasquez, Rubens, Murillo...
I was especially pleased that the author included the importance of the Catholic faith and sacraments in the lives of these historical figures.(less)
A tremendous book. Though intended for children, it is the work of a mature writer, showing depth and nuance.
There are two odd errors that, to my knowledge, have never been corrected in the half century since publication: p.44 "an access of enthusiasm" should be "an excess" and p.66 "wea......more
A tremendous book. Though intended for children, it is the work of a mature writer, showing depth and nuance.
There are two odd errors that, to my knowledge, have never been corrected in the half century since publication: p.44 "an access of enthusiasm" should be "an excess" and p.66 "weasle-eyed" should be "weasel-eyed." Of course, these do nothing to diminish the greatness of the book.
I see that some editions have taken the image of Juan with King Philip that was originally on the back of the dust jacket and moved it to the front cover. This is a mistake, I think, giving away too much of the story.(less)
An excellent book for young readers, with the caveat that Borton's vocabulary will challenge many.
This is fiction, not biography. Told first person through Juan's eyes, this story of himself and the seventeenth century Spanish painter Diego Velazquez develops in a warm and realistic mann......more
An excellent book for young readers, with the caveat that Borton's vocabulary will challenge many.
This is fiction, not biography. Told first person through Juan's eyes, this story of himself and the seventeenth century Spanish painter Diego Velazquez develops in a warm and realistic manner. It betrays it 1965 origin by not sufficiently projecting then current American attitudes toward race and slavery unto its main characters. Yet, in her way, Borton does not deny or misrepresent.
The book's Newberry Medal was well deserved.
A good read.(less)
"I, Juan de Pareja, was born into slavery early in the seventeenth century." I have never yet been disappointed with a winner of the ALA Newbery Medal and "I, Juan de Pareja," the 1966 winner by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino kept my string intact. With expressive descriptions of people and places, de ......more
"I, Juan de Pareja, was born into slavery early in the seventeenth century." I have never yet been disappointed with a winner of the ALA Newbery Medal and "I, Juan de Pareja," the 1966 winner by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino kept my string intact. With expressive descriptions of people and places, de Trevino introduces us to "a Europe yeasty with new ideas" and towns "bathed in a golden light."
Juan is a slave of African descent, and following the fever death of his mistress in Seville, he becomes the property of her nephew, one Don Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez. Although for her book, de Trevino built upon the few extant personal facts regarding Velazquez, the bare bones are true, and it all makes for a good story.
Juan survives an arduous trip to Madrid and matures into an invaluable assistant to Velazquez who is already a well-established painter. "The eye is complicated. It mixes the colors for you." explained Master. "The painter must unmix them and lay them on again shade by shade, and then the eye of the beholder takes over and mixes them again."
Juan learns to grind colors, build frames and stretch linens, and, after several years, accompanies Velazquez to the Spanish Court and eventually to Italy and the Vatican. He secretly hones his painterly skills and becomes an accomplished artist himself. Juan and Velazquez develop "bonds of deep respect and affection," while entrusting their lives to God. Before Velazquez dies, he gives Juan his freedom.
The sole authenticated Velazquez quote describes his approach to his craft: "I would rather be first in painting something ugly than second in painting beauty." De Trevino gives us an interesting glimpse into the lives of these two men and the book should provoke interest in searching out images of their works which hang in famous galleries around the world.(less)
One of my summer reading goals was to read three Newbery Medal winning books that I hadn't before. I brought three home from the library at random, and this was one of them. I can understand why it won the Newbery Medal. It's a beautiful and well-written piece of historical fiction, with luminescent......more
One of my summer reading goals was to read three Newbery Medal winning books that I hadn't before. I brought three home from the library at random, and this was one of them. I can understand why it won the Newbery Medal. It's a beautiful and well-written piece of historical fiction, with luminescent characters and an engaging story line. I can also see why it's not popular with today's young readers. Unfortunately, historical fiction seems to have really fallen out of favor with the readers of today. Even third graders are begging for Dystopian, and if it's not that it's fantasy or adventure. In historical fiction, often the action is much more subtle, and for the less accomplished reader, there is not as much to draw them in.
This story, though fictionalized, is based on the life of Juan de Pareja, who was a slave in the household of Diego Velazquez, official painter of the Spanish court in the 17th century. Juan becomes Velazquez' assistant, and becomes an invaluable and cherished part of both his studio and his home. Written from Juan's point of view, it follows his life from early childhood through a tumultuous change of ownership, after which he ends up with Velazquez. Then we continue with Juan through his many years of service to the painter, in which he becomes an accomplished artist in his own right, earns his freedom, and eventually finds love.
Beautifully written, and very obviously a labor of love for the author. I was the first person to check this out from our library in years. I will recommend this to my higher readers at school, and have high hopes that I will get someone to read it.(less)
I totally see why this won the Newbery. From page one I was enchanted. It had a calming feel to the read. An autobiographical fiction that read so vividly that I felt as if I was there and liked this 17th century setting. I felt honored getting to know the wonderful Spaniard painter, Diego Rodríguez......more
I totally see why this won the Newbery. From page one I was enchanted. It had a calming feel to the read. An autobiographical fiction that read so vividly that I felt as if I was there and liked this 17th century setting. I felt honored getting to know the wonderful Spaniard painter, Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez, and his slave, Juan de Pareja. The truth and fiction meshed so well that everything was believable and in my head what was told was how it happened. What a thrill it was to be privy to such a look into a story of respect and friendship and not about slavery as one may imagine this might be about. Definitely my kind of book and I am quick to highly recommend this as a must read.
It warms my heart that this is targeted to young readers. What a great example of integrity this would surely grant them.
Simply, this story made me happy. :)
“The months went by, and at first I thought every day of Miri. But Time is a great traitor who teaches us to accept loss. I was young, and young hearts cannot always be sad.” pg76
“Lately I added a prayer for Miri, too. As I knelt, it seemed as if an angel folded me within his wings, shutting out all that was ugly or hurtful in the world.” pg 78
“But I am a slave!”
Is it a sin, then, to be a slave?”
No. It is an injustice. But I am a religious man. I do not expect justice here on earth, but only in heaven and I am not a rebellious slave. I love Master and Mistress.” pg 126(less)